Corruption-tainted sacked Pemra chief unlikely to get court relief
ISLAMABAD: Implementing the Supreme Court’s historic judgement in the Khawaja Asif case to review irregular and illegal appointments, President Mamnoon Hussain on Sunday removed the illegally appointed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Chairman Chaudhry Rashid.
The office of the Pemra chairman fell vacant in the early years of the previous Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government but the rulers kept the very important office vacant for more than two years with the intention of appointing some favourite person as head of Pemra during the last days of its rule to safeguard the party’s investment in the media sector for four years.
However, the Supreme Court intervened when a junior Pemra officer looking after the charge of office of Chairman Pemra was stopped from working and the federal government was ordered to appoint a full-time professional chairman Pemra as per law of the authority by following the laid down criteria. Chaudhry Rashid, an Information Group officer who never enjoyed good rapport, known for his loyalty to the previous rulers, was appointed as chairman Pemra six weeks before the end of the PPP government’s tenure. However, in indecent haste, the PPP government while appointing its favourite officer simply ignored following any procedure and blindly appointed him on this top and important position without fulfilling the requirements of the law.
Later in the Khawaja Asif case, the Supreme Court gave an historic judgement and ordered the federal government to review all illegally made appointments of top officers and heads of government departments, corporations and regulatory authorities.
The relevant portion of Sunday’s order of the president reads: “The president has accepted and signed the advice of PM to terminate chairman Pemra declaring the appointment ab initio void, illegal and violative of SCP guidelines and orders in acting chairman Pemra case and in Khawaja Asif vs State case. The appointment of Ch Rashid as per requirement of SCP strictures was neither open nor transparent. Ch Rashid being secretary information and serving government employee initiated a summary proposing himself as a candidate of chairman Pemra without carrying out open and transparent process of appointment.”
Chaudhry Rashid after being appointed as chairman Pemra, in his first illegal move, wrote to a former government committee for regularisation of dozens of illegally appointed people in Pemra by the previous PPP government to please his political masters. Later he started recruiting people on temporary basis in Pemra which also includes his own family members with the same strategy as was followed by the PPP government. Other affairs of Pemra were also run in the same passion and loot and plunder was so obvious that he was caught red-handed many times. The News broke a mega scam titled “A super Baboo set to make Rs4 million per month by cheating two Chinese government channels” on September 30, 2013 which was later proved in the FIA investigations and now action will be finalised against him and others.
Sources close to the sacked Pemra chairman disclosed that Chaudhry Rashid will move the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the government decision. However, a perusal of the government order shows it is speaking and proving his appointment as illegal. Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that there will be no benefit to the sacked Pemra chairman even if he approached any court as corruption charges against him are already proved during the FIA investigations in addition to the basic fact that his appointment was completely illegal and in violation of rules, regulations and the Supreme Court judgements.
The minister told the media that new Pemra chairman will be appointed soon.
Senior government officials told The News that this appointment has to be made through the federal commission for selection of heads of public sector organisations which is dysfunctional right now because its chairman is facing contempt charges and is on leave for unspecific period. The appointment of new Pemra chairman can take long time which makes temporary arrangement quite significant.
During the previous regime, the PPP government had given look-after charge of the Pemra chairman office to the then executive member of the authority. However, the federal secretary information, who is also ex-officio member of the Pemra authority, could also be given this look-after charge till new appointment as it could be for quite a long time.
Under federal government notification No 6/4/1996.R-3 dated July 22, 2013, the federal government is bound to get the Pemra chairman appointed through the federal commission for selection of heads of public sector organisations.
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